World-Class Golf Courses Reopen in Los Cabos

Los Cabos is once again welcoming visitors to enjoy its abundant attractions, a list that includes not only the region’s gorgeous beaches and luxurious resorts and villas, but also an unmatched collection of world-class golf courses.

As of 2020, there are 18 golf courses open in Los Cabos, 17 of which are championship-level layouts from the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Davis Love III and Tom Weiskopf.

Although closed to the public for nearly three months due to quarantine conditions associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, many of these courses are now being reopened to the public with new safety protocols in place.

Perhaps the most exciting of the recent course reopenings is the Greg Norman designed layout at Rancho San Lucas. The course debuted in February on the Pacific coast of Cabo San Lucas, but was only open a short time before it was obliged to close again. So this incredible new course has still been played by remarkably few people. That should change soon thanks to Norman’s breathtaking design, which has already been lauded for its excellence by the editors of Golf Digest, who proclaimed it one of their Editor’s Choice award winners for 2020.

 About the Greg Norman Signature Course at Rancho San Lucas

Inspired by the native terrain and featuring splendid panoramic views, the Greg Norman Signature course at Rancho San Lucas is a versatile 7,210-yard, par-72 course laid out within earshot of crashing Pacific Ocean waves. Spanning three different ecosystems, the links-style course weaves through a thick cactus forest creased by winding arroyos before descending to enormous windswept dunes.

Featuring a dramatic 300-foot elevation change, the well-strategized course has five holes on the beach, notably the par-3 third, which parallels the sea and will give players fine views of breaching whales during the winter months. There’s also a signature island green at the testing par-3 17th hole.

Grassed from tee-to-green in Paspalum, a drought-tolerant, disease-resistant varietal, the course features a unique revetted bunkering design unlike anything else in the region. Specifically tailored to Cabo’s terrain and locale, Norman and his design team integrated indigenous landscapes and grass varietals that use the least amount of water and in doing so, succeeded in creating a sustainable golf experience that flows naturally with the dune and desert landscape. The club has applied for enrollment in Audubon International’s Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses.

With two on-course comfort stations, each providing Mexican specialties and ice-cold refreshments, players can enjoy an all-inclusive experience during the round. A handsome ranchero-style clubhouse overlooks the fairways and sea. The practice facility features a spacious driving range, an 18-hole putting course, and dedicated chipping, pitching and sand play areas.

 On-site & Destination Safety Measures

Golf has been recognized as a safe social distancing sport and this is further supported by Rancho San Lucas’ newly acquired fleet of Skooza golf scooters, a self-balancing, 100% electric, zero emission fat-tire scooter designed for single-rider mobility. Additional on-site health and safety protocols include:

  • Face masks and gloves will be worn by all employees while on property along with regular temperature checks administered
  • Full-time housekeepers will be assigned to regularly clean all public areas; hand sanitizer dispensers in all interaction areas
  • Tee times set 15 minutes apart
  • Sanitation of golf carts and equipment before and after each round, including clubs, bags, shoes, etc.
  • Complimentary tees, ball markers, pencils and scorecards will be placed in sealed plastic bag in each golf cart
  • Addition of inserts in the golf hole cups to allow easy and safe removal of the ball
  • Food and drinks at the comfort stations will be pre-ordered and delivered on trays

Reopening of Quivira Golf Club

Not far from Rancho San Lucas on the Pacific coast of Cabo San Lucas lies the Jack Nicklaus designed Quivira Golf Club, an 18-hole masterpiece marked by sheer granite cliffs, massive windswept dunes and rolling desert foothills, with exquisite ocean views and breathtaking drops from tee to fairway.

Like Rancho San Lucas, Quivira recently received a 2020 Golf Digest Editors’ Choice Award in the ‘Best Mexico & Central America’ category. This is the fifth consecutive year the club has been singled out for recognition by the sport’s most widely read and respected publication.

And like Rancho San Lucas, Quivira is once again open.

According to Antonio Reynante, director of golf at Quivira Golf Club, the golf course benefitted from the shutdown. “We didn’t slow down during the mandated closure. The maintenance crew aerified and verti-cut all the tees and fairways, and then top-dressed the entire golf course. They did a phenomenal job, and we are very pleased with the results. The course looks sensational, and playability has been enhanced.” Comfort stations, he added, are open, with all golf and service staff required to wear face masks while on property. The staff will also practice physical distancing with all golfers as well as other employees.

Golfers, for their part, will follow specific guidelines to ensure safety. Tee times are scheduled 15 minutes apart to encourage social spacing.

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo credit:  Rancho San Lucas

Upcoming Events Calendar

August

Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore Fishing Tournament – Aug. 4 – 8

East Cape Gold Cup Wahoo Jackpot Fishing Tournament – Aug. 22

September

Mexican Independence Day – Sep. 16

 October

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 11 – 15

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 15 – 18

Bisbee’s Black & Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 20 – 24

 November

Day of the Dead – Nov. 2

WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 4 – 7

Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 11 – 15

Gastrovino Baja Food and Wine Festival – Nov. 13 – 15

53rd Annual SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 16 – 21

Revolution Day – Nov. 20

 December

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena – Dec. 24

Navidad – Dec. 25

Nochevieja – Dec. 31

Los Cabos Beneath the Surface – 3 Unforgettable Dive Adventures

Los Cabos is beautiful no matter what your vantage, whether it’s from the window seat of an inbound airplane, from the terrace of a luxury rental villa, or from a lounge chair on a gorgeous golden sand beach.

There is another side of Los Cabos, however, and one every bit as beautiful…if not more so. That’s the side that lies just below the surface, just off the coast of the Baja California peninsula’s southernmost municipality.

Thanks to its warm tropical climate (it lies some 50 miles south of the Tropic of Cancer), Los Cabos boasts great year-round conditions for snorkeling and scuba diving. But it’s not just the conditions that make the region so special from a diving perspective. Rather, it’s the presence of world-class diving adventures, from sunken ships and living coral reefs to offshore islands whose waters teem with enormous sea creatures.

With that in mind, here are three once-in-a-lifetime diving adventures available only in (or from) Los Cabos.

Land’s End

If you know anything about Cabo San Lucas at all, you know it’s the southernmost community in Baja California Sur, and the terminus for the over 1000 miles of highway that course down the peninsula from Tijuana. The end of the road, so to speak, is Land’s End, a half-mile headland that juts out into the sea, offering protection for the bay and marking the dividing line between the Sea of Cortez and Pacific Ocean.

Land’s End is home to some of the most famed landmarks in Los Cabos, including Lover’s Beach, the Window to the Pacific, the Pirate’s Cave, La Lobera (the sea lion colony), and El Arco; the latter a naturally occurring arch formed from 80-million-year-old granite.

But as amazing as it above the waterline, Land’s End is even more remarkable below it.

There’s a profusion of great dive sites at Land’s End, the most notable of which are Pelican Rock, Neptune’s Finger, and The Point. Each site boasts unique features, from the degree of depth to the quality and quantity of marine life. Pelican Rock, for example, is famed for its sand falls and profusion of tropical fish; Neptune’s Finger showcases coral, sponges, and sea fans; while diving The Point offers opportunities to see sea turtles, sea lions, moray eels, and even the occasional octopus.

Virtually every local dive shop offers trips to Land’s End, and many offer night diving opportunities.

Cabo Pulmo

Cabo Pulmo, a small village on the East Cape of Los Cabos, is the site of one of the world’s great ecological sustainability stories. Twenty-five years ago the offshore waters were badly overfished so residents banded together and were able to able to have them declared a federally protected national marine park (in 2005, it was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The rebound since has been so spectacular that this aquatic sanctuary now boasts the highest concentration of sea life in the entire Sea of Cortez.

But that’s not the only reason Cabo Pulmo is a mecca for snorkelers and scuba divers. The marine park is also home to one of the most breathtaking living coral reefs in the Western Hemisphere, with eight fingers of vividly colorful coral. The profusion of life is so intense, meanwhile, that schools of fish sometimes seem to blot out the little sun that filters beneath the surface.

From dolphins and sea turtles to leaping mobula rays, Cabo Pulmo is a scuba diver’s dream come true.

Revillagigedos Archipelago

Land’s End and Cabo Pulmo are easily reachable from any resort or rental villa in Los Cabos. Not so the Revillagigedos Archipelago, which is some 240 miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas. Like Cabo Pulmo, this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but reaching the archipelago’s group of small uninhabited islands requires a week-long, round-trip voyage aboard the Solmar V, a 112’ liveaboard dive vessel. It’s a commitment few tourists are willing to undertake.

For hard core divers, however, this is the adventure of a lifetime. The Revillagigedos (pronounced Reh-bee-uh-hee-hay-dos) are sometimes referred to as the Galapagos of Mexico, with islands so remote and offshore waters so teeming with large pelagic species that divers are treated to mind-blowing spectacles of enormous sea turtles, schools of great white sharks, orcas and humpback whales, and hundreds of giant manta rays swimming together.

The waters off Socorro and Guadalupe Islands are ground zero for this bucket list adventure. We’d advise starting at Land’s End and working your way up (or in this case, down). For beginners, almost all local dive shops offer both training and PADI certifications.

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo credit:  Cabo Adventures

Upcoming Events Calendar

March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26

Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14

Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Mar. 8

East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15

Festival Artesanal El Triunfo – Mar. 15

Todos Santos Film Festival – Mar. 26 – 29

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11

NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24

Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – April 30 – May 3

May

Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – April 30 – May 3

485th Foundation Festival in La Paz – May 3 – 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 7, 14, 21, 28

El Dia de la Madre – May 10

White Party at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced

June

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – June 4, 11, 18, 25

7th Cabo Summer Slam/Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing Tournament – June 11 – 13

Fiesta de la Musica in San Jose del Cabo – June 20

24th Stars and Stripes Golf and Fishing Tournament – June 24 – 28

Los Cabos Open of Surf – June 26 – 27

July

Pitahayas Harvest Fair in Miraflores – Dates Not Yet Announced

East Cape Dorado Shootout – July 18

Los Cabos Open of Tennis – July 20 – 25

Ladies Only Fishing Tournament in Los Barriles – July 23 – 27

Mango Festival in Todos Santos – Dates Not Yet Announced

August

Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore Fishing Tournament – Aug. 4 – 8

East Cape Gold Cup Wahoo Jackpot Fishing Tournament – Aug. 22

September

Mexican Independence Day – Sep. 16

October

Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 11 – 15

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 15 – 18

Bisbee’s Black & Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 20 – 24

November

Day of the Dead – Nov. 2

WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 4 – 7

Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 11 – 15

Gastrovino Baja Food and Wine Festival – Nov. 13 – 15

53rd Annual SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 16 – 21

Revolution Day – Nov. 20

December

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Las Posadas – Dec. 16 – 24

Nochebuena – Dec. 24

Navidad – Dec. 25

Nochevieja – Dec. 31

Culture & Tradition: February Events in Los Cabos

February is an exciting month for events in Los Cabos, but not the sort of events like food festivals and fishing tournaments that visitors typically associate with the region. Rather, the focus in February is on culture and tradition.

Art lovers, for instance, will have multiple opportunities in February to get acquainted with some of Baja California Sur’s finest painters and sculptors, from the weekly Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo to the Open Studios Tour and Art Festival in Todos Santos. The latter is only an hour by car from Cabo San Lucas and will also be showing off its sensitive side at the 7th annual Writers Workshop.

Sensitivity is not something typically associated with bikers, but aficionados of two-wheeled vehicles do value tradition; and it’s a tradition of Biker Week Los Cabos for local riders to host guests from around the country (and in some cases, the world). The month’s biggest event, however, is undoubtedly Carnaval in La Paz. Think of it as Mardi Gras, Baja style. No beads but plenty of great music.

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – February 1st to 8th

Best known for its painters, Todos Santos has also proved a congenial community for writers. The 7th annual writers’ workshop returns to the atmospheric Casa Dracula–an historic 19th century hacienda–where creative writers are encouraged with seminars and speakers, publishing roundtables, and a variety of craft workshops that focus on fiction, non-fiction, memoir, poetry and other literary genres. Applicants to the weeklong event are chosen based on writing samples and phone interviews, and in addition to personal mentoring, enjoy courtyard readings from faculty and guest speakers. An optional second week from February 10th to 15th is available to those who’d like to take advantage of the facilities, teaching and creative spirit for a more in-depth experience.

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – February 6, 13, 20, 27

The historic Distrito del Arte in San Jose del Cabo takes center stage each Thursday evening during high tourist season–November through June–when residents and visitors alike are invited to stroll its cobblestone streets and peruse the many eclectic fine arts galleries. Art Walk hours are 5 to 9 p.m., when the neighborhood comes alive with wine, cheese and guided tours, as well as colorful street artists and strolling mariachis.

Biker Week Los Cabos – February 13th to 17th

This annual Harley Davidson motorcycle rally features separate road trips from Cabo San Lucas to Todos Santos and La Paz, with pit stops along the way for gas or for parties and other activities. Riders from the mainland will be arriving with their motorcycles by means of the ferry at Pichilingue, La Paz, where they’ll be met by local riders and escorted back to Cabo San Lucas. The festivities kick off with a welcome cruise on Wednesday, Feb. 13. To see the full schedule of events, visit www.bikerweekloscabos.com.

San Jose Jazz Weekend – February 14, 15

2020 marks the 8th edition of San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend, a festival dedicated to the freewheeling American musical style held yearly at the popular Plaza del Pescador, an outdoor mall across from the city’s resort-lined Playa Hotelera. Plaza del Pescador has only been around for a few years, but has quickly established a reputation for itself as a music venue, thanks to tenants such as Jazz Tapas Café and Rock&Brews, the restaurant chain started by KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Admission is free to the two-day music fest, which takes place from 5 to 11 p.m. on Feb. 14 – 15. To check out the year’s line-up for this year’s Jazz Weekend, visit www.sanjosejazzweekend. com.

Carnaval in La Paz – February 20th to 25th

There are two cities that host notable Carnaval celebrations on the Baja California peninsula:  Ensenada and La Paz. Carnaval, for the uninitiated, is the Catholic pre-Lenten celebration that captivates Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans each year, although in the latter city it is better known as Mardi Gras. In La Paz, the uninhibited six-day farewell to debauchery is centered on the capital city’s malecon, and includes voluminous food and drink, colorful parades and costumes, plenty of live music from high-profile performers, and the coronation of a festival king and queen. This year’s theme is La Fiesta de los Dioses (“The Party of the Gods”).

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com  ,  or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo credit:  San Jose Jazz Weekend

Upcoming Events Calendar

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 12 – 16

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 15 – 19

La Ventana Classic – Jan 16 – 20

Whale Watching Season – January through April 15th

February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 1 – 8

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 7 – 9

Los Cabos Half Marathon – Feb. 9

Biker Week Los Cabos – Feb. 13 – 17

San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Feb. 14 – 15

Rock Fest in Cabo San Lucas – Feb. 15

Carnaval in La Paz – Feb. 20 – 25

March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26

Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14

Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Mar. 8

East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15

Todos Santos Film Festival – Mar. 26 – 29

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11

NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24

Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – April 30 – May 3

Gala de Danza at Viceroy Los Cabos – Dates Not Yet Announced

May

Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – April 30 – May 3

485th Foundation Festival in La Paz – May 3 – 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 7, 14, 21, 28

El Dia de la Madre – May 10

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

White Party at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced

June

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – June 4, 11, 18, 25

7th Cabo Summer Slam/Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing Tournament – June 11 – 13

Los Cabos Open of Surf – Dates Not Yet Announced

Fiesta de la Musica in San Jose del Cabo – Date Not Yet Announced

24th Stars and Stripes Golf and Fishing Tournament – June 24

Transformed! Iconic Los Cabos Golf Course Gets New Look, New Name

When Golf Digest recently picked the best courses in each country, golf-rich Mexico merited 15 mentions. Ten of them, not surprisingly, were in Los Cabos; which has, over the course of the last 25 years, become a mecca for destination golfers.

The man most responsible for this golf boom on the southernmost rim of the Baja California peninsula is undoubtedly Jack Nicklaus, legendary winner of 18 major championships and designer of six championship level loops locally; including early 1990s masterpieces at Palmilla and Cabo del Sol that effectively put Los Cabos on the golfing map.

Nicklaus’ Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol has been ranked among the world’s 100 best courses for each of the last 15 years, and remains one of the most iconic local golfing experiences, albeit with a fresh new look and a fresh new name for 2020.

These changes were necessitated by a real estate development at Cabo del Sol, which will include a luxury residential community called the Cove Club, as well as both a Four Seasons Resort and Residences and a 162-room Park Hyatt property. Both branded resort properties are expected to open in 2022.

Although two ocean holes had to be rerouted at the newly minted Cove Club course, Nicklaus worked closely with the Cabo del Sol team to maintain the high golfing standards.

“We were given the challenge to redesign the golf course to meet their needs, but at the same time maintain the global status the Ocean Course has enjoyed for over 25 years,” Nicklaus said. “The developers needed to take a couple of holes off the ocean, and my responsibility was to preserve the quality of the golf course. I think we have done that in a very satisfactory way. We still have great ocean views, and we still have four holes on the ocean.”

These holes trace a rugged coastline marked by granite outcrops and golden beaches lapped by the Sea of Cortez. Nearly 80,000 plants, trees and shrubs, ranging from bougainvillea and coco palms to palo blanco and purple lantana, have been planted to beautify the layout.

Strategic nuances have been introduced and overall playability enhanced on the refurbished course. For example, the new Rooster Fish (kids) tees total 4,451 yards and invite family-friendly outings. In addition to full-service comfort stations on both nines, an Airstream trailer parked on the beach behind the fifth green offers Mexican specialties and ice-cold refreshments.

Among the new holes crafted by Nicklaus is the short par-3 7th, which was tucked into recreated dunes a stone’s throw from the beach. Faced into the prevailing breeze, this oceanfront hole offers two different angles of attack from a wishbone-like set of tees. The target is a raised green defended front and back by deep bunkers with rolled-down grass faces. As is true throughout the remodeled layout, these new-look bunkers are filled with bright white sand that provides a strong visual contrast to the emerald green turf and turquoise-blue sea.

To make way for a new entryway to the resort community, a new par-4 9th hole was built in a corridor adjacent to the previous ninth hole. The new creation, robust at 461 yards from the tips, mimics the original with its broad saddled fairway but has more dramatic flair in its fairway and greenside bunkering.

At the west end of the course is the Cove Club, a luxury residential community currently under development. With the old 17th hole converted to a beach club, Nicklaus designed a new ridge-to-ridge par-3 17th hole, which drops from a set of elevated tees to a well-defended green backdropped by the sea.

The previous 16th hole, a stirring downhill par-4 that plunges 100 feet down the side of a mountain, has been recast as the 18th hole. “We moved the green a little closer to the ocean and dropped it down to create a spectacular finishing hole,” Nicklaus stated. The peninsula-style green, guarded to the left by an unusual U-shaped bunker with a view portal to the sea, clings to a cliff and appears to float on the ocean. Stretching to 455 yards from the Cove tees, the revised 18th hole immediately takes its place among the finest finishing holes in Los Cabos.

The Cove Club will close for additional modifications at a future date and will reopen as a private club. The Tom Weiskopf-designed Desert Course at Cabo del Sol, also slated to undergo future design changes, will remain a public-access resort venue.

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com , or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo credit:  Cove Club

Upcoming Events Calendar

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 12 – 16

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 15 – 19

La Ventana Classic – Jan 16 – 20

Whale Watching Season – January through April 15th

 February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 1 – 8

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 7 – 9

Los Cabos Half Marathon – Feb. 9

Biker Week Los Cabos – Feb. 13 – 17

San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Feb. 14 – 15

Rock Fest in Cabo San Lucas – Feb. 15

Carnaval in La Paz – Feb. 20 – 25

March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26

Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14

Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Mar. 8

East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15

Todos Santos Film Festival – Mar. 26 – 29

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11

NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24

Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – April 30 – May 3

Gala de Danza at Viceroy Los Cabos – Dates Not Yet Announced

May

Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – April 30 – May 3

485th Foundation Festival in La Paz – May 3 – 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 7, 14, 21, 28

El Dia de la Madre – May 10

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

White Party at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced

June

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – June 4, 11, 18, 25

7th Cabo Summer Slam/Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing Tournament – June 11 – 13

Los Cabos Open of Surf – Dates Not Yet Announced

Fiesta de la Musica in San Jose del Cabo – Date Not Yet Announced

24th Stars and Stripes Golf and Fishing Tournament – June 24 – 28

 

 

The Other Side of Los Cabos – A Look at Upcoming Events on the East Cape

Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo may be the most populous towns–and tent-pole tourist destinations–of Los Cabos, but there’s much more to Baja California Sur’s southernmost municipality than merely these two places.

The Los Cabos municipality as a whole encompasses more than a dozen other communities that are well worth a visit, from Santiago and Miraflores to the small towns on the picturesque East Cape, a belly-shaped coastal arc that stretches over 70 miles from San Jose del Cabo to the Bay of Palms.

The East Cape has been much in the news of late thanks to the opening of the new Four Seasons Los Cabos at Costa Palmas (in La Ribera), an ambitious new luxury resort and residential development–complete with yacht marina and championship level golf course–headlined by one of the world’s foremost hospitality luxury brands.

But that’s hardly the only reason to visit this beautiful region. The small East Cape community of Cabo Pulmo, for example, boasts one of the largest living coral reefs in North America in its protected offshore marine park, as well as the highest concentration of sea life in the Sea of Cortez. The East Cape also offers, at least during winter months, world-class whale watching and windsports (windsurfing, kiteboarding and the like), the latter created by the strong El Norte winds that blow down the coast each year between mid-November and mid-March.

And the East Cape has a bit of culture too, which is shown off to good advantage in annual events celebrating arts, crafts, drama and cuisine. A number of these signature events, in fact, are happening soon; providing even more reasons to explore what we sometimes like to refer to as “the other side of Los Cabos.”

First up is the annual Baja Shakespeare Festival. For nearly 20 years, the small East Cape fishing town of Buenavista has welcomed visitors for fun-filled theater twists on cultural classics…often but not always Shakespeare. Last year’s selection, The Sea Princesa and the Frijole, was based on the classic Broadway hit, Once Upon a Mattress; the show that launched comedienne Carole Burnett’s career back in 1959. This year’s presentation is A Baja Chorus, a takeoff on the long-running Broadway musical, A Chorus Line. The highly anticipated production will be held during consecutive weeks at Hotel Buenavista Beach Resort (March 6th to 8th and 11th to 14th). Tickets are $20 each, or $400 pesos.

Next up is the East Cape Arts Festival, which since 1994 has been the best showcase for regional arts, crafts and East Cape culture. The 2020 edition is scheduled for March 15 at the Hotel Palmas de Cortez in Los Barriles, and in addition to creative arts and crafts–from paintings and pottery to clothing and blankets–regional music and dance will also be spotlighted, as will traditional Mexican food and drink.

Inland from the East Cape is the small town of Miraflores, which is notable for several reasons, including the unusual longevity of its residents and its annual summer harvest festival celebrating pitahayas. This succulent cactus fruit (from the prickly pear variety) was once the favorite food of the area’s indigenous inhabitants, the Pericues, and is still prized by modern Cabeños for both its taste and antioxidant qualities. The latter, in fact, may be why so many Miraflores residents seem to live past the century mark.

Nowadays, Miraflores is known as the foremost organic farming community in the Los Cabos municipality, the place the region’s best restaurants go to source their produce. It’s the perfect place, in other words, to host an organic food festival that focuses on the traditional cuisine and culture of Los Cabos. The annual Festival Sabores de Baja (sabores translates as tastes or flavors) will be hosted by Doña Pame Restaurante from noon to 5 p.m. on March 8th, and will feature live music from local performers.

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com , or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo credit:  Sabores de Baja

Upcoming Events Calendar

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 12 – 16

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 15 – 19

La Ventana Classic – Jan 16 – 20

Whale Watching Season – January through April 15th

February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 1 – 8

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 7 – 9

Los Cabos Half Marathon – Feb. 9

Biker Week Los Cabos – Feb. 13 – 17

San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Feb. 14 – 15

Rock Fest in Cabo San Lucas – Feb. 15

Carnaval in La Paz – Feb. 20 – 25

March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26

Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14

Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Mar. 8

East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15

Todos Santos Film Festival – Mar. 26 – 29

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11

NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24

Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – April 30 – May 3

Gala de Danza at Viceroy Los Cabos – Dates Not Yet Announced

May

Warren Hill’s Los Cabos Jazz Festival – April 30 – May 3

485th Foundation Festival in La Paz – May 3 – 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 7, 14, 21, 28

El Dia de la Madre – May 10

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

White Party at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced

June

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – June 4, 11, 18, 25

7th Cabo Summer Slam/Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing Tournament – June 11 – 13

Los Cabos Open of Surf – Dates Not Yet Announced

Fiesta de la Musica in San Jose del Cabo – Date Not Yet Announced

24th Stars and Stripes Golf and Fishing Tournament – June 24 – 28

 

 

Los Cabos Adds Two New Golf Courses to its World-Class Collection

Now there are 18.

The opening of two more championship-level golf courses by February 2020 brings the number of world-class loops in Los Cabos to a whopping 18, a total that includes multiple course designs from legendary champions like Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Greg Norman.

Outside of Scotland, the game’s ancestral home, destination golfers would be hard pressed to find a municipality anywhere on the planet that even comes close to Los Cabos in terms of both quantity and quality of playing options.

Amazingly enough, even more courses are in the works. But that’s all in the future. Right now, the focus is on the present, and on the newest additions to the local links landscape.

The East Cape of the Los Cabos municipality had been the last unexplored frontier in terms of golf, but that changed last month with the opening of Costa Palmas Golf Club, which accompanies a new Four Seasons luxury resort and marina as part of an upscale 1000-acre community development at La Ribera.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the man who also crafted the Los Cabos area’s acclaimed Cabo Real course, Costa Palmas exhibits all the signs of an instant classic. Not only does the 7,221-yard layout offer both breathtaking scenery and challenges for players of all skill levels, the signature luxury amenities of Los Cabos golf are also much in evidence, from a six-hole to short course to a 30,000 square foot putting practice area with lights for night play, and of course an onsite restaurant for 19th hole style refreshments.

Jones himself calls Costa Palmas “a golf symphony composed of three movements and two transitions”; referring to the integration of desert dunes, elevation shifts and backdrops featuring the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range, and then attention-grabbing Sea of Cortez views as the course finishes near the yacht basin and marina.

Costa Palmas is open to community residents and Four Seasons resort guests exclusively, a policy similar to that at Rancho San Lucas, where Greg “the Great White Shark” Norman is putting the finishing touches on his own masterpiece.

If the East Cape is the final frontier, the Pacific Coast north of Cabo San Lucas is Broadway. This picturesque stretch of coast is home to Quivira, a residential and resort community that boasts a Jack Nicklaus designed course ranked among the 100 best in the world; Diamante, a residential and resort community that offers Davis Love III’s acclaimed Dunes Course–also ranked among the world’s 100 best–as well as two courses designed by Tiger Woods; and now Rancho San Lucas, a resort and residential community with a soon-to-be highly ranked course from Norman.

This isn’t Norman’s first trip to Los Cabos, by the way, as he earlier collaborated with Jack Nicklaus on the Puerto Los Cabos course outside San Jose del Cabo. But it’s hard to compare anything with his Rancho San Lucas course, which evens features a 17th hole island green that will remind some of TPC Sawgrass (although TPC doesn’t have a cactus planted in its bunker, and the views at RSL are in another league altogether).

Norman says his main goals for the course were fun and playability, but the links style layout–which plays 7210-yards from the tips–will certainly present challenges to even the best players, particularly when offshore breezes are gusting along the stretch of five ocean facing holes. Comfort food stations are the signature luxury amenity, but golfers will also appreciate the state-of-the-art golf shop and onsite restaurant.

As previously mentioned, tee times at Rancho San Lucas will only be available to guests at Grand Solmar’s Rancho San Lucas resort, as well as residents in the upscale community. The course officially opens in February 2020.

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com  or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo credit:  Rancho San Lucas

Upcoming Events Calendar

December

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26

Sabor a Cabo Rural Tasting – Dec. 8

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Official Start of Whale Watching Season – Dec. 15

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Stars of the Night Party at Casa Dorada – Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Party at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza with DJ Roger Sanchez – Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Mango Rouge Party at Mango Deck – Dec. 31

January

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 12 – 16

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 15 – 19

La Ventana Classic – Jan 16 – 20

 February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 1 – 8

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 7 – 9

San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Feb. 14 – 15

Rock Fest in Cabo San Lucas – Feb. 15

20th Annual Baja Hog Rally – Feb. 20 – 24

Carnaval in La Paz – Feb. 20 – 25

March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26

Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14

East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15

Todos Santos Film Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Dates Not Yet Announced

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11

NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24

Gala de Danza at Viceroy Los Cabos – Dates Not Yet Announced

May

485th Foundation Festival in La Paz – May 3 – 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 7, 14, 21, 28

El Dia de la Madre – May 10

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

White Party at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced

 

 

New Year, New Opportunities: Fishing Tournaments in Los Cabos in 2020

Fishing is fun, but in Los Cabos it’s also extremely lucrative.

Six figure winning payouts are the norm at high-profile tournaments, and at Bisbee’s annual trio of competitions it’s not unusual for the top teams to take home one million dollars or more. In fact, 18 teams have been handed a check for at least one million dollars at Bisbee’s signature Black and Blue marlin fishing tournament.

So don’t call it a vacation. Instead call your next trip to Los Cabos an investment in your future.

Here’s the schedule for the top tournaments in 2020, including information on registration and recent results.

 Cabo Summer Slam/Pelagic Triple Crown of Fishing Tournament – June 11 – 13, 2020

Bisbee’s isn’t the only organizer of big money fishing tournaments in Los Cabos. Water sports apparel maker non pareil Pelagic hosts its 7th annual Summer Slam this June, inviting anglers to compete for over 350,000 in prize money. After a shotgun start in front of Land’s End, teams compete to haul in trophy size marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado and wahoo during the multi-day tournament. Base entry is $$3,500 per team, or $19,500 across-the-board for all jackpots and prizes.

Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore – August 1 – 4, 2020

 The East Cape Offshore is the first of three Bisbee’s fishing tournaments that take place in Baja California Sur each year. The ECO is always first, and kicks off Bisbee’s 2020 series starting August 1st. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three qualifiers in marlin, tuna and dorado categories, with the awards celebration taking place afterwards at the Hotel Buena Vista. Base entry for the event is $1500 per team, with additional fees for daily jackpots ($22,500 “across the board”). Prize money is based on entry fees received, with 60% going to the billfish winners, and 20% each to top tuna and dorado anglers. Team El Suertudo took home the largest payout in tournament history in 2019, earning a healthy $619,800 for a 381 lb. blue marlin.

Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore – October 15 – 18, 2020

Commonly known as “Little Bisbee’s,” to differentiate it from the “Big Bisbee’s” Black & Blue marlin fishing tournament that also takes place each October in Los Cabos, the Los Cabos Offshore dates back to 2002, and is considered a more laid-back, charity focused endeavor than the Black & Blue. Cash prizes are awarded to the teams with the three biggest qualifying fish in the game and billfish categories at the LCO, and large amounts of fish/meals are always donated to local families in need. Base entry for teams is $1,500 U.S., with $22,500 necessary for “across the board” entry in all jackpots and challenges. Team Predator took home the most money in 2019, pocketing a cool $445,825 for a few days of “work”.

Bisbee’s Black & Blue – October 20 – 24, 2020

Oft billed as “The World’s Richest Fishing Tournament,” thanks to its million dollar payouts, this marlin fishing tournament originally premiered in 1981, and remains to this day the highest profile annual event in Los Cabos. The $4.165 million payout in 2006 was and still is the largest in sportfishing history. Base entry for this millionaire maker is $5,000 U.S. per team, and requires a $71,500 U.S. outlay across all categories, jackpots and challenges. Prizes are awarded for the top five catches of black and blue marlin, assuming they meet the minimum standards (300 lbs.). Three separate checks of over 1.3 million dollars were handed out in 2019.

22nd Annual WON Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot Tournament – Nov. 4 – 7, 2020

The Western Outdoor News has a long history with Los Cabos, dating back to the 1950s, when Baja columnist Ray Cannon’s rave fishing reviews helped put the area on the destination travel map. The WON Tuna Jackpot is one of the larger fishing tournaments in Cabo San Lucas, a fixture of the autumn sporting calendar that follows hard on the heels of the Los Cabos Billfish and Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore and Black & Blue Tournaments. Last year’s event, the 21st edition, saw a 345 lb. yellowfin tuna take first place, which translated to a $425,230 payout check to Team Sirena. Even bigger things are expected this year.

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com  ,    or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo credit:  Bisbee’s Marlin Fishing Tournaments

Upcoming Events Calendar

December

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26

Sabor a Cabo Rural Tasting – Dec. 8

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Official Start of Whale Watching Season – Dec. 15

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Stars of the Night Party at Casa Dorada – Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Party at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza with DJ Roger Sanchez – Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Mango Rouge Party at Mango Deck – Dec. 31

January

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 12 – 16

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 15 – 19

La Ventana Classic – Jan 16 – 20

 February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 1 – 8

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 7 – 9

San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Dates Not Yet Announced

Rock Fest in Cabo San Lucas – Feb. 15

20th Annual Baja Hog Rally – Feb. 20 – 24

Carnaval in La Paz – Feb. 20 – 25

March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26

Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14

East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15

Todos Santos Film Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Dates Not Yet Announced

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11

NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24

Gala de Danza at Viceroy Los Cabos – Dates Not Yet Announced

May

485th Foundation Festival in La Paz – May 3 – 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 7, 14, 21, 28

El Dia de la Madre – May 10

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

White Party at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced

 

 

‘Tis the Season! Things to Do in December in Los Cabos

December may not be a big month for events like fishing tournaments or cultural to-dos, but that’s largely because so much of the Los Cabos event energy is geared towards holiday happenings, from Christmas and New Year’s Eve to major Mexican celebrations like the feast day for the Virgin of Guadalupe, Innocents Day (the national version of April Fool’s Day) and Las Posadas (a nine-day period of ritual reenactments and fiestas that concludes on Christmas Eve).

Although many of these holiday celebrations will probably be of little interest to tourists beyond family dinners at their vacation rental or luxury resort, New Year’s Eve brings a bevy of festive parties from which to choose, and it should also be noted that December falls within the peak season for some signature Cabo activities and adventures.

The biggest of the latter, both literally and figuratively, is whale watching. The season for getting up-close-and-personal with these majestic creatures begins on December 15th and continues on until March.

San José del Cabo Art Walk – Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26

The historic Distrito del Arte in San Jose del Cabo takes center stage each Thursday evening during high tourist season–November through June–when residents and visitors alike are invited to stroll its cobblestone streets and peruse the many eclectic fine arts galleries. Art Walk hours are 5 to 9 p.m., when the neighborhood comes alive with wine, cheese and guided tours, as well as colorful street artists and strolling mariachis.

Sabor a Cabo Rural Food & Wine Tasting – Dec. 8

Sabor a Cabo is the biggest food and wine festival in Los Cabos, and although the major event has already a taken place, an affiliated country style food and wine tasting is still to come on December 8th at Rancho Ecologico Sol de Mayo in Santiago. The rural tasting will serve as a showcase for the organic farming culture regionally, with dishes featuring fresh produce, freshly caught seafood, and meat sourced from local ranches. Tickets are currently on sale in Cabo San Lucas as Nick-San, Tickets are $1000 pesos each for adults (approximately $50 U.S.) and $500 for children 12 years old and younger.

Whale Watching – December 15th to March 15th

Each winter some 5,000 to 10,000 blue, gray, humpback and other whales migrate from their arctic feeding grounds to breed in the shallow water coves and inlets of beautiful Baja California Sur. In this regard these leviathans of the deep are very much like the snowbirds who flock to cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo to escape frigid winter temperatures in the U.S. and Canada. The only real difference–aside from the obvious anatomical ones–is one of scale. The longest mammalian migration ever recorded was in 2014-2015, when a gray whale dubbed Varvara traveled over 14,000 miles round-trip from Russia to Cabo San Lucas. The whale watching season in Los Cabos kicks off officially on Dec. 15, with tours offered by virtually all local activities companies.

New Year’s Eve at Casa Dorada – Dec. 31

Fireworks are practically a daily occurrence in México, but the show of the year–at least in Cabo San Lucas–takes places over Medano Beach at midnight on New Year’s Eve. It’s an extended medley of spectacular sights, sounds and colors, and one that typically leaves viewers breathless afterwards. No surprise then that the fireworks show provides the headline attraction for many local New Year’s Eve parties, which not coincidentally tend to be held on or near Medano Beach. Luxurious beachfront Casa Dorada Resort & Spa hosts perhaps the most notable of these local New Year’s Eve events. Celebrations in past years have featured themes like “White Party” and “Gatsby”, the latter with vintage 1920s era costumes and flapper-friendly festivities that included an open bar and deluxe buffet from the resort’s 12 Tribes restaurant, as well as live music and up-close views of the spectacular fireworks show. Over 500 festive partygoers are expected again this year to ring in 2020. The announced theme is a Hollywood style “Stars of the Night” red carpet gala.

New Year’s Eve at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza – Dec. 31

The stylish Deco themed ME Cabo Resort on Medano Beach has always been a preferred hangout for the smart set, dating back to the halcyon days of the poolside Nikki Beach Club. Nowadays, the onsite club of choice is Blue Marlin Ibiza, and the parties continue to draw LA and Las Vegas scene makers for major events like the annual White Party and New Year’s Eve bash. The latter is up next, with famed American house music DJ and Grammy Award winner Roger Sanchez scheduled to provide the entertainment. As always, there will be a fireworks show at midnight.

New Year’s Eve at Mango Deck – Dec. 31

Mango Deck is the most popular bar and restaurant on Medano Beach and a mecca during the yearly Spring Break period. The parties don’t stop when the college migration ends, however, as Mango Deck is also renowned for annual events like its New Year’s Eve blowout, which features live music and performers, as well as a “front row” beachfront seat for the midnight fireworks show that takes place over Cabo San Lucas Bay. This year’s theme is “Mango Rouge”, so expect Moulin Rouge style entertainment for what is being billed as a decade-closing extravaganza.

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com  ,  or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Photo credit:  Casa Dorada Los Cabos Resort and Spa

 Upcoming Events Calendar

December

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26

Sabor a Cabo Rural Food and Wine Tasting – Dec. 8

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Official Start of Whale Watching Season – Dec. 15

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Stars of the Night Party at Casa Dorada – Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Party at ME Cabo with DJ Roger Sanchez – Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Mango Rouge Party at Mango Deck – Dec. 31

January

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 12 – 16

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 15 – 19

La Ventana Classic – Jan 16 – 20

 February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 1 – 8

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 7 – 9

San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Dates Not Yet Announced

Rock Fest in Cabo San Lucas – Feb. 15

20th Annual Baja Hog Rally – Feb. 20 – 24

Carnaval in La Paz – Feb. 20 – 25

March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26

Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14

East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15

Todos Santos Film Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Dates Not Yet Announced

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11

NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24

Gala de Danza at Viceroy Los Cabos – Dates Not Yet Announced

May

485th Foundation Festival in La Paz – May 3 – 5

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 7, 14, 21, 28

El Dia de la Madre – May 10

Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

White Party at ME Cabo/Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced

 

 

Holiday Spirits! 3 Drinks to Try During the Christmas Season in Cabo

Spending the holiday season in Los Cabos has many advantages. For starters, there’s no snow, no ice, no sleet, no freezing winds. Instead, there is only sunshine, perfect for lazy days in a hammock at the nearest playa.

But it’s not just beautiful weather and luxurious beachfront resorts that make Los Cabos a savvy choice as a holiday getaway. There are also many charming cultural traditions that accompany the Christmas season in Mexico, among which are a trio of delicious drinks indelibly associated with seasonal celebrations.

The names may not be familiar, but all three are heartily recommended for yuletide toasts.

Noche Buena

Ice-cold Coronas are perfect for a day at the beach. But what beer goes with Christmas in Cabo?

That would be Noche Buena, a dark bock-style lager produced seasonally (October through December) by Cerveceria Cuahtemoc Moctezuma, the brewery behind such iconic Mexican beer brands as Dos Equis, Tecate, Sol, Carta Blanca, Indio and Bohemia (under whose imprint Noche Buena is issued).

Noche Buena is instantly recognizable to beer lovers by its label, which features red and green poinsettia, a flower linked in both name and color palette with Christmas. Poinsettia in Spanish, you see, is known as Nochebuena, as is Christmas Eve. Thus the beer, both in its distribution and imagery, is inextricably tied to the holiday season.

It’s also instantly recognizable by its taste, thanks to rich distinctive notes of malt, caramel and chocolate.

Although Cuahtemoc Moctezuma has been a subsidiary of Heineken International since 2010, Noche Buena is no longer exported to the U.S. So if you want to enjoy this outstanding seasonal brew, you’ll have to spend the holidays in Mexico, preferably in Los Cabos.

Rompope

How many potent alcoholic beverages have been invented by nuns? Just one that we know of: rompope.

This eggnog style sipper is said to have been invented by 17th century sisters at the Santa Clara convent in Puebla, and to this day the Santa Clara brand remains the most popular among national consumers.

Rompope is so beloved in Mexico that it is used as a flavor in candy and gelato, but the rum-spiked holiday drink remains the most iconic offering (although unlike Noche Buena, you don’t have to wait for the holiday season to buy it). It’s available year-round in stores, and can be served either room temperature or slightly chilled.

A rompope based cocktail called the monjita (“little nun”) was famously invented in Cabo San Lucas, and consists of a slightly chilled serving of rompope topped with a floater of coffee-flavored Kahlua.

It’s delicious.

Ponche Navideño

Christmas punch is a concept that seemingly knows no national boundaries. In Sweden, they call it glogg, an onamatopoetic name that mimics the sounds the spicy mulled wine makes as it slides down one’s throat. In Mexico, the name–ponche navideño–is much more straightforward. It means exactly what it is, a warm Christmas punch. And it does pack one, especially if you’re adding adult-friendly regional ingredients like tequila or mezcal.

At heart, though, this is a fruit based punch, and the fruits–particularly tejocotes–give it its unmistakable flavor. Tejocotes are sourced from a uniquely Mexican species of hawthorn trees that was only recently made legal for export to the U.S., although Americans are unlikely to find them (or try them) anywhere except Mexican holiday and Day of the Dead celebrations (when they’re popular as offerings to returning spirits).

Add apples, guavas, hibiscus flowers and cinnamon to your tejocote base, boil with water and cane sugar, spike with tequila or mezcal, and you’re ready to salute the season, Cabo style.

Better yet, let someone else make it for you, and deliver it straight to your hammock. You are on vacation, after all.

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com,  or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.                                                                                            

Photo credit:  Rompope Santa Clara

Upcoming Events Calendar

November

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Nov. 1 – 2

Pelagic Rock Star Tuna Tournament – Nov. 1 – 3

Ironman Los Cabos 70.3 Half-Triathlon – Nov. 3

Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally – Nov. 3 – 16

21st WON Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 6 – 9

Luxe Life Los Cabos Jazz Experience – Nov. 7 – 11

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28

Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 13 – 17

52nd Annual Baja 1000 – Nov. 19 – 24

Sabor a Cabo International Food & Wine Festival – Nov. 30

 December

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26

Sabor a Cabo Rural Tasting – Dec. 8

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Official Start of Whale Watching Season – Dec. 15

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

January

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 12 – 16

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 15 – 19

La Ventana Classic – Jan 16 – 20

 February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 1 – 8

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 7 – 9

San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Dates Not Yet Announced

Rock Fest in Cabo San Lucas – Feb. 15

20th Annual Baja Hog Rally – Feb. 20 – 24

Carnaval in La Paz – Feb. 20 – 25

March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26

Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14

East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15

Todos Santos Film Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Dates Not Yet Announced

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11

NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24

Gala de Danza at Viceroy Los Cabos – Dates Not Yet Announced

 

The Ultimate Upgrade: 3 Reasons to Choose Vacation Rentals in Los Cabos Over Resorts for Your Next Destination Getaway Experience

Few places in the world can match Los Cabos when it comes to destination attractions. From year-round sunshine and glorious golden sand beaches to world-class fishing, diving, wining and dining, and pampering luxury, cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo have everything one could possibly want for an unforgettable vacation experience.

As might be expected, the vast majority of the three million people who annually visit this sun-splashed paradise on the southernmost rim of the Baja California peninsula stay in one of the region’s superb collection of seaside resorts. And they are superb. But here’s the thing…

There is an even better option, one that promises more luxury, more privacy, more spectacular one-of-a-kind amenities, and in many cases–remarkably–a more affordable alternative to the traditional resort vacation. It’s an amazing option, and one more and more people are beginning to discover and take advantage of to enhance their destination getaway experience.

Yes, we’re talking about vacation rentals in Los Cabos, be they chic beachfront condos or cliff-hugging luxury villas with jaw-dropping Pacific Ocean vistas.

With that in mind, here are three reasons to choose vacation rentals in Los Cabos over resorts for your next visit to paradise.

More Luxury

Prefer your vacation accommodations to be expansive, elegantly appointed, with breathtaking views from virtually every vantage point? Of course. Everyone does.

Well, there’s no comparison when it comes to vacation rentals in Los Cabos versus resort rooms or even suites.

For starters, vacation rentals are much bigger, often staggeringly so. The gold standard are the luxury villas that are perched high above Cabo San Lucas in the Land’s End city’s exclusive gated Pedregal neighborhood. Long the province of movie stars and captains of industry, these villas are mansion-like in size and scope, with manicured grounds, exquisite design and décor, high-end amenities like jacuzzis and home theaters, as well as horizon-stretching ocean views from every corner of the property.

Amazingly, these magnificent villas are often a more affordable week-long option than upscale resorts for families, couples traveling together, or groups like bachelorette or wedding parties.

That’s also the case, naturally, for penthouse and other scenically set condos and rental homes throughout the Capes Region. More modest in size if not luxurious amenities, these properties often compare favorably to resorts’ room rates for singles and couples.

More Privacy

In addition to capital “L” luxury, vacation rentals also offer a degree of privacy well beyond that offered by even the most intimate and exclusive local resorts. There are no lines for buffet breakfasts, no crowded swimming pools or beaches, no shared locker rooms for massages or spa experiences.

Your “vacation rental in Los Cabos” is solely reserved for you and you alone (and of course that special someone, or your chosen travel companions). If you want to skinny dip in the pool or jacuzzi, or enjoy a romantic sunset dinner on the terrace, there’s no one to pry, eavesdrop or otherwise impinge upon the intimacy of the experience. Privacy is total and absolute.

In essence, you’re living the life of a local rather than that of a tourist, and you’re doing so with the same amount of privacy you’d expect in your own home.

More Amenities

Almost all the things you would expect from a first-class resort are available in Los Cabos vacation rentals: from muy comfortable accommodations to swimming pools, palm-shaded hammocks, beach access, bottomless margaritas, and on-call concierge service.

And the few that aren’t can easily be arranged. Ready for a poolside massage or a dinner party for you and a few of your closest local friends? Mobile spas and private chefs are only a phone call away, and perfectly willing to tailor their offerings to your personal preferences.

Plus, of course, there are the luxurious residential amenities found in any coastal manse, from state-of-the-art kitchens and palapa-topped bbq stations to fully equipped business and fitness centers.

That’s the advantage of vacation rentals in Los Cabos, and it’s one no resort–regardless of reputation or service–can ever come close to matching. Call it the ultimate upgrade (from memorable to unforgettable), and by all means consider it for your next relaxing getaway to always sunny Los Cabos.

For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.

Upcoming Events Calendar

November

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Nov. 1 – 2

Pelagic Rock Star Tuna Tournament – Nov. 1 – 3

Ironman Los Cabos 70.3 Half-Triathlon – Nov. 3

Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally – Nov. 3 – 16

21st WON Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 6 – 9

Luxe Life Los Cabos Jazz Experience – Nov. 7 – 11

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28

Los Cabos Film Festival – Nov. 13 – 17

52nd Annual Baja 1000 – Nov. 19 – 24

Sabor a Cabo International Food & Wine Festival – Nov. 30

 

December

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26

Sabor a Cabo Rural Tasting – Dec. 8

Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe – Dec. 12

Official Start of Whale Watching Season – Dec. 15

Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24

Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25

Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31

 

January

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 12 – 16

Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 15 – 19

 

February

Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Feb. 1 – 8

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27

Todos Santos Artists’ Open Studios Tour – Feb. 7 – 9

San Jose del Cabo Jazz Weekend – Dates Not Yet Announced

Rock Fest in Cabo San Lucas – Feb. 15

20th Annual Baja Hog Rally – Feb. 20 – 24

Carnaval in La Paz – Feb. 20 – 25

 

March

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26

Baja Shakespeare Festival – Mar. 6 – 8, 11 – 14

East Cape Arts Festival – Mar. 15

Todos Santos Film Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced

Sabores de Baja in Miraflores – Dates Not Yet Announced

April

Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Semana Santa – Apr. 5 – 11

NORRA Mexican 1000 – Apr. 17 – 24

Gala de Danza at Viceroy Los Cabos – Dates Not Yet Announced